procession

American  

[pruh-sesh-uhn] / prəˈsɛʃ ən /

noun

• processions
  plural

1. the act of moving along or proceeding in orderly succession or in a formal and ceremonious manner, as a line of people, animals, vehicles, etc.

2. the line or body of persons or things moving along in such a manner.

3. Ecclesiastical. an office, litany, etc., said or sung in a religious procession.

4. Theology. the emanation of the Holy Spirit from the Father and later, in the Western Church, from the Son: distinguished from the “generation” of the Son and the “unbegottenness” of the Father.

5. the act of coming forth from a source.

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verb (used without object)

1. to go in procession.

procession British  

/ prəˈsɛʃən /

noun

1. the act of proceeding in a regular formation

2. a group of people or things moving forwards in an orderly, regular, or ceremonial manner

3. a hymn, litany, etc, sung in a procession

4. Christianity the emanation of the Holy Spirit

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verb

1. rare (intr) to go in procession

Usage

What does procession mean? A procession is a line of people or vehicles moving along in an orderly and often ceremonial way. A very common example is a funeral procession, which is the line of cars or people traveling together to a burial. A parade is another kind of procession. Procession is the noun form of the verb process, meaning to proceed in or as if in a procession. Example: The procession was so long that they had to block traffic so it could stay together.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• processions
  plural

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Etymology

Origin of procession

before 1150; early Middle English (< Old French ) < Late Latin prōcessiōn- (stem of prōcessiō ) a religious procession, literally, a marching on. See process, -ion

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Explanation

A procession of mimes walking through the streets of your town would be surprising and somewhat terrifying. A line or group of people moving together in a deliberate way is a procession. You're most likely to see a procession during some kind of ceremony, parade, or festival. A line of cars moving together to a cemetery is a funeral procession, and a bunch of parents pushing babies in strollers in a parade are also a procession. Another meaning of procession is any line or succession of people moving continuously, like a procession of local politicians knocking on your door one afternoon. The root of procession is the Latin processio, "marching forward."

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

procession processions

China’s last imperial wedding procession began at 3 a.m. on Dec. 1, 1922.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

Crowds of onlookers lined the procession course: ordinary urbanites, former dynastic officials and foreign residents of the capital, all hoping to catch one final glimpse of imperial extravagance.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 6, 2026

Its “Democracy Sessions” are an ongoing procession of interdisciplinary concerts, theatrical events, interactive gatherings, environmental presentations and gabfests in theaters, museums, libraries, parks, on neighborhood streets and around the L.A.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 2, 2026

Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he defended his decision to stop the parade, saying he could not see how the procession could safely take place.

From BBC ● Oct. 10, 2026

Ahead of the formal procession and behind it danced the riau-riau dancers.

From "The Sun Also Rises" by Ernest Hemingway

It also said it was "paramount that the residents be protected from any form of forced processions that disregard their consent, safety and right to live in peace free from intimidation".

From BBC ● Oct. 7, 2026

Sunday was declared a public holiday across Iran, and later in the day Khamenei's body will be moved out of the Grand Mosalla ahead of a processions through the capital on Monday.

From BBC ● Jul. 5, 2026

They often hold public processions and are widely seen receiving alms of goodwill from ordinary Thais.

From Barron's ● Jul. 3, 2026

“You’d have tens of thousands of people and sheikhs in the streets, all roads closed to cars, processions all over the city, food being served. That’s why they called it ‘The City of Hussein.’

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 22, 2026

The nuns loved her too, always choosing Lina to read the lesson during silent dinners or to carry the Virgencita in the Sodality of Mary processions.

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez

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Related Words

• cortege
• motorcade
• succession

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